I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” (Psalm 77:11)

Dear Friends:

On behalf of Family Policy Alliance of New Mexico, I want to wish you and your family a Happy New Year and extend my deepest gratitude to all of you who supported us financially in 2018. I say it often—we could not do this without you and thanks to your generosity, we ended our inaugural year very well.

As we begin a new year, I want to take a moment to reflect on where we have been and where we are headed. Therefore, this week, I am proud to share with you our “Top 3 Accomplishments of 2018.”

#1—Our work during the 2018 Legislative Session

In 2018, we participated in our first Legislative Session and provided critical analysis and support to our legislators on issues related to life, family, and religious freedom. Most notably, we managed to get one of our legislative priorities—House Bill 56, which would have required that notification be given to a parent when their minor child obtains an abortion—on the agenda, which is especially difficult during a 30-day session. Not only that, we further managed to get House Bill 56 a hearing in spite of the committee chairman’s efforts to stall the bill. We also teamed up with New Mexico Prays to host “Pastors’ Day at the State Capitol.” More than 100 pastors and faith leaders from various denominations and communities across New Mexico participated in the event, which included a luncheon and prayer service in the Capitol Rotunda.

#2—Our participation in the 2018 Statesmen Academy

During the summer of 2018, we were honored to help host the 2018 Statesmen Academy®—a weeklong conference for on-the-rise Christian legislators and aspiring policymakers. This annual event provides attendees with an enduring fellowship of mutual encouragement and accountability, spiritual strength, and political wisdom, and in 2018, we were blessed to have two of our New Mexico State Representatives in attendance—Rebecca Dow and Rod Montoya. Statesmen Academy classes were taught by experienced Christian legislative leaders including retired U.S. Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Congressman Daniel Webster of Florida, Senator Paul Gazelka, Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate, Dr. Matt Spalding of Hillsdale College, and Clark Forsythe of Americans United for Life.

 #3—Our work during the 2018 Election

There is no question that the 2018 Election was dominated by the liberal and progressive wings of our state party politics. However, all was not lost on election night, as 8 of the candidates we endorsed for the New Mexico House of Representatives were elected or reelected, including all three of our Statesmen Academy alumni—Representatives Rebecca Dow, David Gallegos, and Rod Montoya. Notably, in Districts 22 and 63, our endorsed candidates were victorious in two of the most tightly contested races of the cycle. After a mandatory recount, Representative Gregg Schmedes won by 142 votes and Representative Martin Zamora edged out his opponent by 25 votes. Representatives Cathrynn Brown, Greg Nibert, and James Strickler were also reelected and we are truly fortunate to have them returning to the State Capitol this month!

By God’s grace, and with your prayers and generous support, that is where we have been. And the good news is, we are headed in some exciting directions in 2019!

Please stay tuned next week for our “Top 3 Goals for 2019.”

Until then, God bless you and best wishes for a prosperous new year!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Vince Torres
President and Executive Director

P.S. As you plan your charitable giving for 2019, please keep us in mind and consider setting up a recurring monthly gift to support our efforts. 2019 will be full of opportunities and threats when it comes to the issues and values we care about. But, together, and with the good Lord’s blessing, this will be a year in which we continue to move the ball forward for a New Mexico where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished!

As we approach the end of 2018, it’s amazing to look back and see the victories—all of which you made possible through your prayers and support of Family Policy Alliance and our state allies. Thank you!

1. For Life!

National Victories

This past year, there have been huge steps forward in the pro-life movement on both the national and state fronts. President Trump listened to your voice and is standing up for the rights of the preborn. Whether or not you voted for this President, his stand for life is unparalleled in recent administrations.>/mark>

President Trump became the first sitting president to address the March for Life. Under his administration, the Department of Health and Human Services is working to finalize a new rule that prevents taxpayer’s dollars (through Title X family planning funds) from going to abortion providers. These Title X dollars are currently Planned Parenthood’s second-largest funding stream. He reinstated and expanded the “Mexico City Policy” that blocks $9 billion in foreign aid from being used for abortions. And with his first nominee to the Supreme Court, Justice Gorsuch, the Court dismantled an unconstitutional law passed by California that would have forced pro-life pregnancy centers to become advertisers for the abortion industry.

State Victories

Because of your support, states are continuing to creatively chip away at Roe v. Wade with new laws that protect women’s health, increase requirements on abortion providers to ensure they are taking care of women and recognize the humanity of preborn babies.

Idaho passed a law that requires health care professionals to report information about complications from abortions. Nebraska passed a law that provides birth certificates to families who have lost babies through a miscarriage. Eight states have passed laws that ban dismemberment abortions. Over 20 states ban abortion past a certain number of weeks based on the ability of the preborn baby to feel pain.

A recent initiative seeks to ban abortions based on a Down syndrome or disability diagnosis. Ohio and Louisiana passed this type of law, and several other states considered bills. This happened largely because people of faith like you have shared your stories about how people with disabilities have shaped lives for good.

“Whether a child is diagnosed with Down syndrome before or after birth, disability rights start at diagnosis. All human life should be valued and respected— especially in the womb. And the targeting of babies solely for the possible diagnosis of Down syndrome should not be permitted here in Pennsylvania,” said Michael Geer, president of Family Policy Alliance’s state ally, Pennsylvania Family Institute.

Idaho and Indiana passed bills that require information about abortion-pill reversals be available to women. Over a dozen states have cut taxpayer funding streams from Planned Parenthood.

There is still much to be done in protecting life in our country, but because of your voice—joined with the voices of other biblical citizens—leaders in our country are listening and taking action.

2. The Heart of Adoption

Most of us believe strongly in the right of Christians to live out our biblical citizenship by looking after orphans—children in need of loving parents. This is why thousands of biblical citizens like you urged state legislatures, through email and phone calls, to protect the constitutional rights of faith-based adoption agencies—so those agencies can do what they excel at: placing hard-to-place children in forever families.

Your efforts resulted in a spectacular victory in Kansas this past session. LGBT lobbyists poured money into Topeka, and the leading national LGBT advocacy organization even sent its president to convince legislators to vote against religious freedom for private, faith-based adoption agencies—even if that meant those agencies would have to shut their doors rather than violate their beliefs. Family Policy Alliance of Kansas rallied pro-family Kansans to speak up—resulting in not only a win for children who need homes, but also a win for religious freedom. Similar laws also passed in Oklahoma, Texas and South Dakota, again thanks to biblical citizenship!

3. Keeping the Gospel Free in California

California’s wildly controversial legislation, AB 2943, targeted religious beliefs in a truly unprecedented manner. It would have prohibited millions of people from purchasing services and resources that declare the power of Christ can overcome unwanted same-sex attraction and gender identity struggles. This bill was passed by the California Assembly and Senate, and was one formality away from being signed by the Governor. In an astonishing twist that no one anticipated, Assemblyman Evan Low pulled his own bill after tens of thousands of biblical citizens from California and across the nation reached out to him to share stories of hope and change.

Jonathan Keller, the executive director of our state ally California Family Council, which worked tirelessly to keep the Gospel free in California, declared, “We are inexpressibly grateful to Assemblyman Low for meeting personally with faith leaders over the last several months and sincerely listening to our concerns.” Praise God!

4. Protecting Male and Female

The Gender Identity issue continues to sweep across the nation in unprecedented ways. States have sought to give individuals special protections in the law based upon their “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” status. Schools have been opening their bathrooms and locker rooms to the opposite sex if a student claims they feel like the opposite sex. State administrative agencies have been caught attempting to expose our most vulnerable children to “gender transition” services. And therapists have been targeted for trying to help our children overcome unwanted same-sex attraction and gender identity struggles.

Yet, the voices of biblical citizens like you, speaking compassionate truth that our sex is innate and cannot change at will, have had a significant impact everywhere—from school officials all the way to the Trump Administration. Here are some of the ways your prayers, financial support and taking action have led to big victories:

We have made major strides this year and with your support, we will continue to stand firm in the biblical truth that God has created men and women in His image, male and female, and that our biological sex is no accident. 5. The Story You Helped Write in the 2018 Election

With your help – and with our theme verse on our lips (“The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” Daniel 11:32) – Family Policy Alliance stood firm and took strategic action on key races where voter data and on-the-ground reports indicated that we could have an impact.  You helped make possible more than a million communications with voters in those targeted races!

And the results were encouraging. On a night that brought lots of sobering news, Family Policy Alliance won nearly two-thirds of targeted races. Since most of those were state-level races that don’t get as much attention, let me share a few highlights of how your support for Family Policy Alliance paid dividends.

As you may know, our sister organization, Family Policy Foundation®, trains on-the-rise Christian legislators and candidates at the annual Statesmen Academy®. Some of those Statesmen alumni need help winning difficult elections, so we provided assistance in 17 key Statesmen races.

Thankfully, our supported Statesmen won 14 of those races. That’s an 82 percent win rate! Now, a total of 52 Statesmen, equipped Christian men and women, will be serving you in elected office starting in January 2019!

You also helped us engage in several U.S. Senate races – most notably in North Dakota, where Family Policy Alliance’s on-the-ground presence made our work especially strategic.

Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota® identified 35,000 pro-life North Dakotans who are inconsistent about getting to the polls, especially in non-presidential years. They reached those voters with live phone calls from volunteers, with mailers, and with targeted digital ads that featured a strong video exposing the radical pro-abortion record of the incumbent senator, Heidi Heitkamp.

The result was a resounding win for Kevin Cramer. Pro-lifers around the nation will benefit from having a new pro-life champion in the U.S. Senate!

As you can see, it’s been a big year for believers who care about restoring a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished!

We look back on 2018 with hearts full of gratitude for all God has done—and for all He has done through you.

And His calling doesn’t stop with the end of the year! Next week, we plan to share with you what to expect as we ring in the new  year!

We can’t thank you enough for your prayers and support of Family Policy Alliance.

May God bless you and your family,

Paul Weber,
President & CEO

Dear Friends:

Although the 2018 election wrapped up weeks ago, a few extremely close races remained in question—two of which featured candidates we endorsed ahead of the November election. This week, I am proud to report that after all votes were recounted, our endorsed candidates, Dr. Gregg Schmedes and Martin Zamora, were certified as the winners in House Districts 22 and 63.

I am sure you have heard it said that “Every Vote Counts,” and this can certainly be said in Gregg’s and Martin’s races. Ultimately, Gregg won by 142 votes out of more than 16,000 votes cast, and Martin edged out his opponent by just 25 votes!

That’s right—167 votes combined made the difference in these races and it is my privilege to introduce two of our newest State Representatives to you today.

Meet Representative Gregg Schmedes

 Gregg Schmedes is a local physician from Tijeras, New Mexico. Earlier this year, he was appointed by Governor Martinez to fill the unexpired term of former Representative James Smith. Gregg graduated from medical school at Texas Tech University, where he served as president of his class. During college, he organized and led missions’ trips to Mexico, and from 2014-2016, he served in Cameroon as a teacher and surgeon for Samaritan Purse’s World Medical Mission. Gregg previously worked as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of New Mexico and is currently the State Director for the American Academy of Medical Ethics. He is married to Kelly, and together, they have five beautiful children.

Meet Representative-Elect Martin Zamora

Martin Zamora is a native of Clovis, New Mexico, and a lifelong resident of House District 63. He has over 20 years of experience in agriculture, has owned several small businesses in the agricultural industry, and previously served on the Wells Fargo Community Advisory Board. Martin currently owns a farm in Clovis and a ranch located in Torrance and Socorro Counties. He has been married to his wife, Debbie, for 38 years, and together, they have two daughters and six beautiful grandchildren.

Congratulations Representative Schmedes and Representative-Elect Zamora! We are thankful for your willingness to serve in public office and we look forward to working with you to defend life, promote strong families, and protect religious freedom in New Mexico.

Together in His Service,

Vince Torres
President and Executive Director

Our theme verse at Family Policy Alliance® is from the book of Daniel (11:32): “The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.”

It’s amazing what happens when we faithfully do that. Sometimes the results are very encouraging – even in the midst of chaos around us.

In fact, that aptly describes this month’s election. The pundits had predicted all along that it would be a bad year – maybe even a disaster – for those of us who care about life, family, and religious freedom.

But with your help – and with that verse from Daniel on our lips – Family Policy Alliance stood firm and took strategic action on key races where voter data and on-the-ground reports indicated that we could have an impact.  You helped make possible more than a million communications with voters in those targeted races!

And the results were encouraging. On a night that brought lots of sobering news, Family Policy Alliance won nearly two-thirds of targeted races. Since most of those were state-level races that don’t get as much attention, let me share a few highlights of how your support for Family Policy Alliance paid dividends.

Electing Statesmen

As you may know, our sister organization, Family Policy Foundation®, trains on-the-rise Christian legislators and candidates at the annual Statesmen Academy®. Some of those Statesmen alumni need help winning difficult elections.

This year, we provided assistance – ranging from mailers to digital ads to phone calls – in 17 key Statesmen races. Thankfully, we won 14 of those races. That’s an 82 percent win rate!

Of course, many Statesmen didn’t need our help and won their elections. So all combined, more than 50 trained Statesmen alums will be serving in key elected positions in January!

Big Wins in the States

But your support also allowed us to invest in other key state-level races. For example, you may have heard about the very tight race for governor in Georgia. Democrat Stacey Abrams received massive support from Hollywood for her ultra-progressive agenda. Her victory would not only have meant bad news for the people of Georgia, but it would have been a big national win for the pro-abortion and anti-religious freedom agendas.

Family Policy Alliance of Georgia® jumped in early during a primary runoff – helping conservative Brian Kemp when he still badly trailed the moderate Republican. After he won the primary, we continued our support – helping him pull out a come-from-behind victory, avoiding a runoff by just two-tenths of a percent!

Your support also helped pave the way for a host of strategic wins in a number of other states. That means pro-family champions will be headed to state capitols in Bismarck, Boise, Columbia, Santa Fe, St. Paul, Topeka and more.

Surprising Beauty in Ashes

In some cases, what the media may have reported as good news for the Left actually had a surprising twist. For example, despite Family Policy Alliance of Kansas® winning 9 of 15 races, the overall media narrative was that Republicans had big losses in the state House.

But a closer look shows that 15 of the 18 Republicans who lost their House seats had voted against the Adoption Protection Act. That was the FPA-supported legislation that was the biggest religious freedom victory in the country this year. So much for the idea that pro-family, pro-life and pro-freedom laws are bad politics!

Improving the U.S. Senate

You also helped us engage in several U.S. Senate races – most notably in North Dakota, where Family Policy Alliance’s on-the-ground presence made our work especially strategic.

Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota® identified 35,000 pro-life North Dakotans who are inconsistent about getting to the polls, especially in non-presidential years. They reached those voters with live phone calls from volunteers, with mailers, and with targeted digital ads that featured a strong video exposing the radical pro-abortion record of the incumbent senator, Heidi Heitkamp.

The result was a resounding win for Kevin Cramer, who previously served on the board of the organization that became Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota. Pro-lifers around the nation will benefit from having a new pro-life champion in the U.S. Senate!

Facing Attacks and Tough Challenges Head On

Naturally, those engaged in this arena will face strong opposition. For example, Family Policy Alliance of New Mexico was directly attacked by the Democratic Party of New Mexico and labeled “Far-Right Social Crusaders.” The reasons they gave? We support protecting the religious freedom of adoption agencies, and we oppose drag queen storytimes for children in libraries.

But we turned these attacks into victories by publishing these statements. As a result, we received an outpouring of support from Christian Democrats who publicly rebuked their own state party for attacking our organization and Christian values.

Of course, we know that there will be plenty of challenges in this coming year – in Washington, D.C., and in many state capitols. But we know that, just as with this year’s election, our job as the people of God is to “stand firm and take action.”

It was for such a time as this that Focus on the Family allowed Family Policy Alliance to spin off as an independent organization – to be able to grow and to more effectively take action. Will you continue to stand with us – or join us for the first time – as we move into 2019?

After all, as this election showed, good things happen when we stand firm and take action.

Count your blessings name them one by one. I’m sure you’ve heard that familiar hymn from the late 1800’s:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

We are taking those words to heart this Thanksgiving season, and we invite you to join us.

2 Conservative justices who have records for upholding the rule of law are now sitting on the Supreme Court! We are thankful for all you did in encouraging your Senators to confirm Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh, and we thank God for His mercy in placing them on our highest Court.

2 more prolife, conservative Senators in the U.S. Senate! After the November 6 election, the Senate had a net gain of two seats to make it a more prolife, conservative body. Thank you for how you voted, and we especially thank you for giving to make the work to reach prolife, pro-family voters in North Dakota possible! Your support reached key North Dakota voters over 200,000 times to defeat Heidi Heitkamp, a supporter of late-term abortions, and elect Kevin Cramer—the new pro-family, prolife Senator!

2 new major religious freedom laws. This year, both Kansas and Oklahoma passed laws protecting religious freedom for faith-based adoption agencies. These laws ensure that the faith-based agencies can continue to serve the children and birthmoms in their states according to their faith—without fear that their state governments could force them to close down. The nation’s leading LGBTQ activist group called these laws their “biggest defeat of the year.”

1 big California miracle. As we know, what happens in California doesn’t stay in California. This year, lawmakers in the liberal state were working to pass an ominous bill that would classify many communications of Biblical sexuality as a form of illegal “consumer fraud.” But, stunningly, on the last day of legislative session, the bill was pulled from consideration. God’s great mercy, the leadership of our ally California Family Council, and the outpouring of opposition from California believers – many of whom had never gotten involved in public policy issues before – was overwhelming and made the victory possible. Californians sent 40,000 messages to lawmakers opposing the bill through Family Policy Alliance’s action center alone!

52 Christian Statesmen have been trained through our sister Foundation’s Statesmen Academy and will be serving in Congress or state legislatures across the country in January 2019! These Christian men and women have been trained in the legislative art of patience and persistence, unwavering principles, and passionate, respectful advocacy. In other words, they are lawmakers who will stand on principle and advocate effectively for your values—and you helped get them the training to make this possible! Family Policy Foundation is gearing up to train another 30 more of these Christian leaders called to serve in public office in our highly selective program in 2019!

5 Administrations under President Trump’s leadership have worked to end Obama-era rules that define “sex” in federal law to include “gender identity”—leading to harmful policies especially for women and children, confusion in the law, and even threats to religious freedom. President Trump’s Departments of Education and Justice ended the “transgender mandate” on schools. The Department of Defense concluded that the military transgender mandate threatened military readiness and was too costly. The Federal Bureau of Prisons wisely returned to first considering a prisoner’s biological sex—not gender identity—when housing a prisoner. And the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been working to protect religious freedom and conscience rights for healthcare professionals since President Trump took office. Now HHS is also encouraging every federal Administrative department to be clear that “sex” in federal law and regulations means “biological sex” and not “gender identity” so that there is consistency in the law. This is a lot to be thankful for!

All of YOU! We are so grateful for each one of you—for how you’ve given generously to support our ministry, taken time to contact lawmakers, spread the word about important issues and elections, prayed for your country and state, showed up to vote, and at times even helped your church be more involved.

We pray God’s hand of blessing on you and your family. And please know that my team and I pray and give thanks for you each week.

We know you join us in feeling the burden for our country—and at times it can indeed feel like too much to bear. There are certainly many problems in our country today—many lawmakers who do not fear or even acknowledge God, many ungodly laws, real pain and tragedy—especially in the family, and millions of lives lost to abortion.

But we hope that you will join us this week as we thank God for these blessings we count for our country—and the impact they will have on families for years to come.

With Thanksgiving,

Paul Weber,
President & CEO

Dear Friends:

On behalf of our ministry, I want to thank you for your passionate engagement during the recent election. Although the outcome was not what we hoped and worked so hard for, as Christians, we can take heart in knowing that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is still on His throne, and no election can ever mitigate His sovereign power and authority over all.

At the same time, we acknowledge that without the right leadership in place, it is difficult to advance our vision and values. It is not, however, impossible, and, quite frankly, the outcome of this election makes it clear that the efforts of Family Policy Alliance of New Mexico are needed now more than ever.

With the election over, our work for change now shifts to the Legislative Session (January 2019) and we are already busy finalizing our legislative agenda and strategy. As New Mexico’s nationally recognized family policy council (FPC), we are blessed to be part of an alliance of states actively working to impact our culture through public policy engagement. In short, now our work really begins!

Friends—the fight to protect the unborn, strengthen the family, and preserve religious freedom continues, and I believe God has raised us up “for such a time as this.” In Esther 4:14, Mordecai tells Queen Esther, “…if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Like the words of Mordecai, I believe that if we are silent, relief and deliverance for the unborn, families, and religious liberty will come from elsewhere (i.e. the federal government and/or the courts). BUT, I also believe that New Mexico itself will perish.

On the other hand, if we speak up and act now, I know we can reverse this terminal prognosis. It won’t be easy, but then again, nothing meaningful comes easy.

So, if you are disappointed with the election results, please let me remind you that we—yes, we—are not done yet! And during the Legislative Session, when opportunities arise for us—yes, us—to speak up and make a difference, my hope is that you will make those phone calls, send those emails, and even attend those legislative hearings. Remember, no politician can single handedly run our government and elections do not signal the end of our engagement. Our vote is not the end of our voice, and now that the votes have been tallied, it’s time for us to keep the victors accountable.

Now, I haven’t personally asked for financial support much lately, but as we approach years end, I’m going to ask you a huge favor. Thanks to a generous matching grant provided by one of our local families, every dollar you give will be matched up to $25,000! So please, send a gift today and help us begin the new year on a high note.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Sincerely,

Vince Torres
President and Executive Director

On Tuesday, Colorado took a giant step to the Left. The voters of our state chose as their leader someone who is not only the first openly gay man to be elected governor in any state, but he can accurately be described as the first gay activist to be elected governor.

Jared Polis was one of the three LGBT-inspired mega-donors who joined with Tim Gill more than a decade ago – pouring multiplied millions into transforming Colorado politics and policies.

Now, he’s governor. And after his party took control of the state Senate on Tuesday, he has his friends and allies in charge of both houses of the legislature. If you’re familiar with the Polis progressive agenda, that’s a scary reality for our state:

So what are we to do now?

Finally, here’s a little perspective that may be an encouragement. Remember when Barrack Obama was first elected in 2008? It didn’t take long for Americans to wake up and realize the damage that his radical agenda was having on our country. Just two years later, Obama’s party lost 65 seats in the U.S. House.

Positive change can happen quickly.  To that end, let’s pray, stand firm and engage for action!

Family Policy Alliance President Paul Weber with new U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer after last night’s election in Fargo, N.D.  Family Policy Alliance supporters made possible a major investment in this critical prolife, pro-family victory.

It was supposed to be a blue tidal wave. The media said so, and history said so. But good people who love our country and biblical values just kept working. In the spirit of Daniel, they stood firm and took action (Dan. 11:32).

The result wasn’t victories everywhere. The Left scored big wins in parts of the country, and the likely reality of a Speaker Pelosi will be a hard reminder of some of the damage from last night’s election.

But there was enormous good news as well, and that balance was a dramatic change from the last three midterm elections, in which the party in control of the White House suffered cataclysmic losses.

Topping that list of victories was the strong list of pro-life reinforcements joining the U.S. Senate. The Senate will be more pro-life, more conservative and better able to continue confirming the outstanding judicial appointments that the President has been making.

One of those victories that Family Policy Alliance invested heavily in – thanks to your support – was Kevin Cramer’s victory over Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota. Eight months of hard work on the ground – accompanied by targeted messaging to tens of thousands of voters via mail, phones and video ads – helped lead the way to a resounding win last night.

Paul Weber, President & CEO of Family Policy Alliance, was in Fargo last night and gave thanks to the people who made this win possible. “Congratulations to the volunteers and supporters of Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota – people who put in countless hours and made this enormous outreach to North Dakota voters possible.  Because of their hard work and sacrifice, North Dakotans finally have a pro-family conservative representing their values in D.C. This was one of the most closely watched races in the country, and it should be an encouragement to all that voters – not Planned Parenthood money or a liberal agenda – ultimately have the final say.”

Your support also played a role in other national victories like that of religious-freedom champion Josh Hawley, who now goes to the U.S. Senate from Missouri.

You helped make conservative wins in the Senate possible even before election day by urging your Senators to confirm Justice Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court! It was clear that the Kavanaugh vote played a major role in pro-family victories last night. Of the five most-watched Senate races, four incumbents who voted against Justice Kavanaugh lost their races to a more conservative Senator—like Kevin Cramer in North Dakota. Only incumbent Senator Joe Manchin in West Virginia, who voted for Justice Kavanaugh, won his re-election. So thank you for helping tee up these major wins—even before election night!

All across the country, your support also made possible dozens of victories in important state-level races.

For example, on a challenging night, only three alumni from our Foundation’s highly selective Statesmen Academy lost their bids for re-election. That means nearly 50 of these outstanding Statesmen Academy graduates will be serving this January when state legislatures (and Congress) reconvene.

Also, Georgia and the nation will likely secure a critical victory in the governor’s race, where Family Policy Alliance of Georgia played a key role in an effort to defeat Stacey Abrams, a Hollywood-backed progressive. Soon, our team in Georgia should be able to advance much-needed pro-life and pro-freedom protections.

In addition, the network of allied state organizations that we serve enjoyed huge victories. Among many examples, the people of West Virginia – with backing from the Family Policy Council of West Virginia – passed a momentous measure that ensures that abortion is not a “right” found in the state constitution.

Thanks for your investment that made these victories possible! Now, on to more wins as together we continue to “stand firm and take action.”

Standing firm with you,

Paul Weber,
President & CEO

 

 

Election Day is finally here! That calls for a celebration in two ways.

First, no more ads! We all appreciate that.

But second and more importantly, we are among the few people in the annals of history who have had the privilege to elect our leaders. And as Christians, voting is both a stewardship responsibility and a ministry opportunity – a chance to serve our fellow man by electing leaders and enacting policies that will best advance the common good.

So if you haven’t already voted, please do so today – and remind other like-minded people to vote as well! With so many close races expected, that simple act could make the difference.

Then join Family Policy Alliance tonight on social media as we track key results, including the following:

12 Key Senate Races on Our Top Watch List

AZ : Martha McSally vs. Kyrsten Sinema
FL: Rick Scott vs. Bill Nelson
IN: Mike Braun vs. Joe Donnelly
MI: John James vs. Debbie Stabenow
MN: Karin Housley vs. Tina Smith
MO: Josh Hawley vs. Claire McCaskill
MT: Matt Rosendale vs. Jon Tester
ND: Kevin Cramer vs. Heidi Heitkamp
NV: Dean Heller vs. Jacky Rosen
TN: Marsha Blackburn vs. Phil Bredesen
TX: Ted Cruz vs. Beto O’Rourke
WV: Patrick Morrisey vs. Joe Manchin

12 Key Governor Races on Our Top Watch List

AK: Mike Dunleavy vs. Mark Begich
CO: Walker Stapleton vs. Jared Polis
FL: Ron DeSantis vs. Andrew Gillum
GA: Brian Kemp vs. Stacey Abrams
IA: Kim Reynolds vs. Fred Hubbell
KS: Kris Kobach vs. Laura Kelly
MI: Bill Schuette vs. Gretchen Whitmer
NM: Steve Pearce vs. Michelle Lujan Grisham
OH: Mike DeWine vs. Richard Cordray
OK: Kevin Stitt vs. Drew Edmondson
SD: Kristi Noem vs. Billie Sutton
WI: Scott Walker vs. Tony Evers

12 Key Ballot Measures on Our Top Watch List

AL: Allow Ten Commandments on Public Property (Amendment 1)
AL: Pro-Life Protections (Amendment 2)
AZ: School Choice (Proposition 305)
FL: Voter Control Over Gambling Expansion (Amendment 3)
ID:Gambling Expansion (Proposition 1)
MA: Gender Identity (Question 3)
MI: Recreational Marijuana (Proposal 1)
MO: Medical Marijuana (Amendment 2 + two others)
ND: Recreational Marijuana (Measure 3)
OR: No Tax Funding of Abortion (Measure 106)
UT: Medical Marijuana (Proposition 2)
WV: Pro-Life Protections (Amendment 1)

Of course, there are many other important races as well, including U.S. House races, state legislative races and more. We’ll plow through the results and pull out the nuggets that you may want to know. Join us on Facebook or Twitter this evening, and watch for updates on email tomorrow.

Thanks for standing strong and taking action!

The Family Policy Alliance Team

Dear Friends:

After months of television and radio ads, robocalls, political signs, and constant chatter about the election, we are now in the final stretch! With less than 5 days until Election Day—Tuesday, November 6—we are rapidly approaching the conclusion of what has been a busy and sometimes tumultuous election cycle.

Last week, the frontpage of the Santa Fe New Mexican featured a story about St. Anne Parish Catholic Church in Santa Fe. According to the article, some Santa Fe residents raised concerns about a sign above the church’s doors, encouraging parishioners to “Vote Pro-Life.” In response, Father Larry Brito, St. Anne’s pastor, stated, “If we were standing up for immigrants, nobody would complain. But when we stand up for others who have no voice, the 4,000 children a day who are killed by abortion, they complain. It would be a great disservice to be quiet during this holocaust.”

Then, over the weekend, the Santa Fe New Mexican and the Albuquerque Journal published a full-page advertisement that included a New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (NMCCB) statement on the “dignity of the human person from conception to natural death.” In the 2017 statement, the bishops expressed their firm opposition to abortion and physician-assisted suicide, stating, “Support for abortion or doctor-assisted suicide is not in accord with the teachings of the Church. These represent the direct taking of human life, and are always wrong.” Earlier this week, the NMCCB objected to the statement being used for “political advertising.”

These stories and others point to the frequent intersection of faith and politics, and the need for people of faith to vote in accordance with their faith—not their party.

So if you have not already voted, please do so this week or on Election Day, and please remember to VOTE CHRISTIAN!

Thank you again for exercising your civic responsibility and for standing with us in our efforts to defend and strengthen the family, life, and religious freedom!

Together in Christ,

Vince Torres
President and Executive Director

 

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” -Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV)

 “Prayer is the language that moves heaven. Voting is the language that will change New Mexico.”